John "Jack" or "Jock" Marshall
John Marshall, known as both Jack and Jock, was not unusual in that he was born in Scotland and died in America. However, as a footballer, a "uncompromising" full-back, he was in that not just careers but good ones were had by him in not one or two or even three but four countries. They began in his home-land, Scotland, from where he moved first Down South, then a wee bitty westward to Wales and finally fully so across The Pond. And on the way he won eight caps, seven for his Auld Country, playing against all three of the other home nations, captaining twice, and one for the United States, this against Canada.
Marshall was born in Baillieston in Glasgow, the son of a miner, the same work that he himself would take up before football saved him. But by then he was living in Ayrshire, in Stevenston, to where the family had returned whilst he was still a boy, his father born in the town, although his mother came from Northern Ireland. And it was also in Stevenston where he learned the game at the town's junior club, Victoria. In fact he played junior football until he was twenty-two, only then just before the outbreak of The Great War being signed by Paisley's St. Mirren, where because his occupation was reserved he was able to play through the conflict, with club winning the Victory Cup. But he was obviously being looked at from England. As soon as hostilities were over Middlesbrough stepped in to sign him, The Saints havered, even gave him a benefit, but Marshall, not for the last time, forced their hand.
In four seasons he would make over a hundred starts for the Wearsiders as well as receiving three of those first international call-ups. He also would rack up a decade of marriage. In 1914 he had wed Mary Boag in Anderston and they were to have in Scotland four surviving children, which might at least in part explain difficulties, which after a couple of campaigns began to emerge between him, the FA and his English employees. In 1921 he was suspended by the former for playing football North of the Border in the closed season. In early 1923 it was the latter because he had gone "home" without permission but then Mary had just given birth to a son there and who know what complication there might have been.
However, as a result Middlesbrough placed him on the transfer list and when no-one came in he simply took himself off for a season to play for Llanelli in the Southern League and outhwith 'Boro's reach before the family made a well-timed decision. In 1924, as soccer began to boom, it headed across the Atlantic first to New York, where a daughter was born and he turned out for a season for Brooklyn Wanderers, and then to SoccerToon USA, Kearny, in New Jersey and two seasons with Newark Skeeters plus earning his US cap, even scoring in a 6-1 victory.
Jock would play professional soccer back with Brooklyn and with Bethlehem Steel until 1929, he aged thirty-seven, whilst the family remained in Kearny and a further son and a second daughter were born. Indeed their final son would be named Archibald Stark, after Kearny's own, Glasgow-born, American scoring-ace and presumably a close friend. Then at some point in the next decade they took themselves to central New Jersey, to Sayreville, where he continued to work as a Labourer. And it was there that both husband and wife would die, he in 1964 and Mary in 1973. They are buried in Christ Church Cemetery in nearby South Amboy.
Birth Locator:
1892 - Braehead, Baillieston, Lanarkshire
Residence Locations:
1901 - Magnesia House, Stevenston, Ayrshire
1901-14- 7, Arthur St., Stevenston, Ayrshire
(1921 - 2, Seabank St., Saltcoats, Ayrshire)
1925 - 27, Victor St., Yonkers, New York, USA
1930 - 293, Windsor St., Kearny, New Jersey, USA
1940 - 142, Johnston Ave., Kearny, New Jersey, USA
1940-64 - Sayreville, S. New Jersey, USA
Death Locator:
1964 - South Amboy Memorial Hospital, New Jersey, USA
Grave Locator:
Christ Church Cemetery, South Amboy, New Jersey, USA
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